Sligo Creek Education Foundation

Subtitle

News

I hope everyone is enjoying the summer and finding time to rest and relax.

Though the new school year is still far off in the distance at this point (thankfully), we would like to introduce and welcome the new SCEF Board. The following individuals have graciously volunteered to serve the local school community:

Ronnie McGaskey President

Chris Richardson Vice President

Dunia Sinnreich Treasurer

Monica Nermark (returning) OC Liaison

Chris Wacker (returning) VP Auction /Fundraising

Malia Hale Secretary

We have the greatest faith in this group, and know that they will do an incredible job leading the organization moving forward. They are enthusiastic, hard-working and focused on serving our students, staff and parent community in conjunction with the PTA.

Best-

Alison and Anu

Former SCEF President and Vice President

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Note: If you would like to learn more about the SCEF, including what it does and how it differs from the PTA, please go to: http://sligocreekef.webs.com/.

The Sligo Creek Education Foundation was successfully able to raise more money than ever before during the 2017-2018 school year. Woo Hoo!! We raised $6,750.23 in the Read-a-Thon, $7,689.34 from the Auction and Beer Dinner and $4,000 in grants thus far.

Money raised was used to support the popsicle party in the Fall, SCEF newspaper club, STEM club and the Outdoor Classroom Coordinator. We also allocated $5,000 for the long-term fundraising goal of a shade canopy for the recess field.

I would like to thank Anu Aiyar, Monica Nermark and Chris Wacker for fearlessly serving on the SCEF Board this year. Our programming was spearheaded by Ms. Miller as the Newspaper Chair, Laura Farr as the Outdoor Classroom Coordinator and Ms. Brown and Ms. Fischer as the STEM Club Sponsors. Our successful auction was a result of Chris Wacker, Steph Spahr, Angie Gilp and Roxanne Holton. Tamara Grosko led the charge in grant writing. Greg Ewing was our legal advisor. The hard work of these individuals made such a successful year possible, for which I am grateful.

We would like to welcome Dunia Sinnreich to the board for the 2018-2019 school year as Treasurer! Like myself, Anu will also be moving on as she anticipates joining her husband on sabbatical for part of the year. Chris and Monica have kindly committed to continuing to serve on the SCEF Board for another year though. As a result, we need to fill the position of President and Vice-President to the board . Note: Without a President the SCEF CANNOT continue to exist and we will need to fold the organization. Our auction committee has graciously agreed to help with the event again next year, but we have several other roles we would like to fill. We are looking for individuals who are willing to coordinate the Read-a-Thon, manage the website, write grants, develop community partnerships and more. Please reach out to [email protected] if you are willing and interested in serving.

Our family has been fortunate to have been a part of this school community for the last seven years, and it has served us well. Our children have flourished, both academically and socially during their time at SCES. They have incredible memories with friends of working on school projects, running in the Salamander Stride, serving in the SGA, counting minutes read for the Read-a-Thon, competing in the Geo-Bowl, planting in the Outdoor Classroom, and trips to Williamsburg/Hershey Park. Perhaps, what I often have overlooked is the way in which the Sligo Creek community has also impacted life for Nick and I. We are thankful for the friendships we gained as a result of our active involvement in the school. We have developed friendships that led to giant hugs at drop off, adventures on school field trips while chaperoning, last minute coffee/lunch dates, before the sun comes up workout buddies, trips to the beach over the summer months and collective tears at graduation. Our life as a family became fuller as a result of being actively engaged in our school community.

Sadly, our time at Sligo Creek is coming to a close. Mckinley is now a rising 7th grader at Eastern and Dejan is heading to Oakview next year (under the firm promise he can return to SCES if he is unhappy). It honestly makes me a little teary eyed as we bring closure to this chapter in our lives.

This is my farewell hope (and perhaps my plea) to you...become as actively engaged in the school community as you can muster. It can, but doesn't have to be, a leadership position in the PTA or Sligo Creek Education Foundation. Choose to be a chaperone, a room parent, volunteer with the Outdoor Classroom Committee, help in the main office on occasion, make photocopies, and/or do a document translation. The school generally benefits from parent classroom support, but the PTA and SCEF both need and depend on parent volunteers to function, and our school community would suffer without their presence. Many of the activities that my kids remember so fondly are run by the PTA and SCEF and would cease to exist without parental support. And as I alluded to previously, any opportunity to serve will make your time as a family at Sligo Creek more precious. It certainly did for us.

Thank you to everyone who participated in the Sligo Creek Education Foundation 2018 Auction and McGinty's Beer Dinner this year!

We were overwhelmed by the generosity of teachers, families and local businesses that donated items and/or services to be auctioned off. This year we were able to include 88 items. We, of course, also need to thank those who bid online and/or in person on the items. Between the auction and raffle we were fortunate to raise $5,635.

This year also proved to be our largest beer dinner with 60 folks in attendance. We enjoyed an incredible menu developed by the McGinty's chef with four beer pairings from local Brookeville Beer Farm. McGinty's generously donated 20% of tickets sales, contributing $855.

In all, we raised $6,490 this year from the event. The first $5,000 will be allocated to a shade canopy for the recess field, which is the organization's new long-term fundraising effort. That leaves $1,490 to be applied towards general programming.

Lastly, we would like to give a special shout out to the incredible auction planning committee, which consisted of Steph Spahr, Chris Wacker, Angie Gilp and Roxane Holton (plus their devoted spouses). Volunteers are integral to the well-being of the larger SCES community and we are so thankful for the time and energy they invested in the event.

The Annual Fundraiser for the Sligo Creek Education Foundation is coming-up.

It features:
Auction (online) from Feb. 16 - Feb. 24 @ www.32auctions.com/SCEF2018
The Silent Auction will be held before the dinner at McGinty’s from 6:30 to 7:30. ALL are invited to come even if you don’t have a ticket to the dinner! Come and enjoy happy hour and bid away!!

However the beer dinner is something you do not want to miss plus it will feature a few exciting LIVE auction items (not to worry you can always place prebids for these items with our silent auction committee if you can’t attend)
Dinner & Beer pairing event with host from Brookeville Beer Farm, at McGinty's at 7pm on Feb. 28. Just a few tickets still available so BUY NOW:
www.eventbrite.com/e/sligo-creek-education-foundation-beer-dinner-tickets-41391816036

We will be raising money for the Education Foundation, which funds the Outdoor Classroom, newspaper club, mentorship programs, and much more.
Look-out for more information through PTA posts and from other SCES news sources.
If you have anything to donate to the auction (it is a great way to showcase your local business), please consider contributing by filling-in this online form: Sligo Creek Education Foundation Silent Auction Saturday, February 28, 2018

Join us for an evening of great food and great beer provided by one of MD's coolest farm breweries! Enjoy a 3 course dinner served with 4 pours from The Brookeville Beer Farm's exciting range of craft beers. Dinner is $45 per person with a $10 deposit taken at registration. $35 balance to be paid at the event.

$15 from each ticket sold will be donated directly to Sligo Creek Elementary Foundation.

The Online Silent Auction will go live the week before the Dinner with some items available for live bidding before the dinner. But we NEED your help to make the auction a success! We are looking for donations from parents and businesses for the silent auction:

· Do you have a gift or talent you could donate??

· Does your business or neighbor’s business have something to offer?

· Do you frequent a local business that might be willing to donate?

The dinner and silent auction directly benefits our school and makes things such as the Outdoor Classroom Coordinator possible.

Thank you to those families who participated in the second annual Sligo Creek Education Foundation Read-a-Thon this year. We had participation across grade levels, with an astounding number of minutes read. To date, we have raised $6,185.72!!! Money raised from the event will be used to fund and successfully ensures the Outdoor Classroom Coordinator position for the 2018-2019 school year.

Prizes for participation in the Read-a-Thon were awarded to:

Kindle Raffled for Over 500 Minutes Read: Lucas Kilasonia

Kindle Raffled for Raising $60 or more: Boaz Levone

K Most Minutes Read: Afamefuna Gross

1st: Most Minutes Read: Sonia Farole

2nd" Most Minutes Read: William Helfers

3rd Most Minutes Read: Olivier Bui

4th Most Minuted Read: Aurelia Smith

5th Most Minuted Read: MyLinh Bui

If you participated in the Read-a-Thon, but have not had the chance to submit the money raised to your classroom teacher, you may still do so. Everyone who participated in Read-a-Thon will get an extra media center check out coupon next week.

Thank you again ​to everyone who read, donated, selected books for their children, and more.​ ​ ​We want to offer a special shout out to SCES Reading Specialist, Stacy Miller, who handled many of the in-school logistics ​for​ the event. Her time, energy and passion for reading certainly was instrumental in the success of the fundraiser​. We are looking forward to countess hours reading with you all again next year.​

The second annual SCES Read-a-Thon is running from October 29th-November 11th. Over the next two weeks, your child/children can raise money for the Sligo Creek Education Foundation just by READING!!! Encourage your child to grab a favorite book or pick up a new one at the upcoming SCES PTA Book Fair, and seek donations for the number of minutes read between now and November 11th. Prizes will be awarded for most minutes read and money raised. For additional information please see the Read-a-Thon packet that went home in the Friday folders or go to: http/sligocreekef.webs.com/fundraising

Auction and 3 Course Dinner and Beer Pairing

We are preparing for our what we hope to become an Annual Silent Auction fundraiser on Feb 28th that will benefit the Sligo Creek Educational Fund and make things such as the Outdoor Classroom Coordinator possible. But we NEED your help!

We are looking for donations from parents and businesses for the silent auction:

· Do you have a gift or talent you could donate??

· Does your business or neighbor’s business have something to offer?

· Do you frequent a local business that might be willing to donate?

The Auction will be held both online and in combination with our amazing 3 Course Dinner and Beer Pairing Dinner at McGinty's Public House in downtown Silver Spring! Details about the partner brewery and how to purchase tickets will be available soon.

The Sligo Creek Education Foundation will hold its annual Community Meeting next Wednesday, October 11 from 7:30-8:30 pm. We welcome parents to join us, learn more about the Foundation and hear what we are planning for the year. The meeting will be held at the school (Location TBD).

What is the Education Foundation? It’s a non-profit organization that supports Sligo Creek Elementary school by focusing on raising money to support programs that fall outside the spending guidelines of the PTA and are not included in the MCPS spendings plans. We are close partners with Sligo Creek ES and the Sligo Creek PTA.

If you are unable to attend the meeting but have any questions about the Education Foundation or want to get involved, please email [email protected]

Join us for Supper Club on Wednesday, Oct 18, between 4:00 - 6:00 pm at Chipotle - 907 Ellsworth Avenue in SIlver Spring. When you show the flyer (print or on your phone), the restaurant has very generously agreed to give a portion of sales back to Sligo Creek Education Foundation.

Welcome Laura Farr as the new Outdoor Classroom Coordinator for the 2017-2018 school year!!! Laura will be working with the SCES staff to engage students in the school's outdoor classroom space over the course of the year. Please feel free to reach out to Laura ([email protected]) if you are interested in volunteering.

Ask you to mark your calendar for our next Supper Club fundraiser on October 18th from 4-8 at the Chipotle in downtown Silver Spring. 50% of the proceeds are donated to the school.

Encourage you to volunteer with our organization. We are looking for a treasurer, Supper Club organizer, silent auction organizer, website administrator, and grant writer. Please reach out to Alison ([email protected]) if you are interested in taking on a role in the Sligo Creek Education Foundation.